The invention concerns a cleaning device for the printing cylinder of a rotary printing press, with a guide rail placed somewhat parallel to the printing cylinder, on which a longitudinally movable carriage slides, and upon which a washing apparatus is releasably mounted, whereby the guide rail, in order to place the washing apparatus before the printing cylinder, is controllingly displaceable, and wherein the washing apparatus is connected to a supply center by means of supply lines for washing detergents, air, electrical current, and the like.
On a rotary printing press, due to normal operation and dependent upon the kind of color and the paper to be printed, buildups of colors and paper dust form. This buildup increases with the quantity of printing, and after a certain amount has accumulated, the printing quality is negatively affected.
In most cases, the usual printing cylinder, which may be made of rubber cloth, is manually cleaned during a machine stop, which practice, besides the expense, presents safety risks for the personnel, since the cylinder rotates with a motorized drive.
For some time, automated washing systems for the cleaning of the printing cylinder have been installed. These systems are based on a rotating brush or a cleaning cloth which periodically unwinds itself and by means of a nozzle spray system is wetted with a selected detergent and water. The cleaning process is carried out by means of placement of said cloth on the rotating printing cylinder. All these systems clean by the application of a detergent.
Such washing systems are specific to each printing cylinder and are installed, to wash the printing cylinder in an appropriate cycle, between a number of printings in one run and/or after the end of the printing run. By means of this washing, the color and paper dust deposits are cleaned away. The freshly cleaned rubber cloth of the rubber cloth cylinder now assures a continuation of printing of the current run with a good degree of quality, or provides the proper starting conditions after a change of print order.
The washing systems are mostly automatically activated, and installed on the printing cylinder and are initiated by a specified washing program from the control station of the rotation equipment or by means of a master controller.
A disadvantage of these wash systems which are found on the market, is the specific attachment to only one printing cylinder. Especially during mounting of the wash system, the integration of the equipment into the printing machine becomes a complex operation. In addition to this, design accommodations are necessary, matching each rotation machine type and rotation machine format, with consideration given to the cylinder circumference. The design then extends itself not only to the wash system but also to the rotary machine itself.
Further disadvantages lie in the width of the washing system. All systems must have the same axial width as the cylinder to be cleaned. Disadvantages are further conditioned by the rigid installation and dedication to a specific printing cylinder. Further, consideration must be given to the technical construction of the cylinder as well as to the limited ergonomical possibilities.
The required accessibility for the operator is, with the above assembly, limited. Thus, the rubber cloths, which are found on the rubber cloth cylinder and which, due to damage or wear during or after the print run, have to be changed, can only be changed when the particular washing system is dismantled and removed.
A further disadvantage is that systems, because of their stationary installation on the specific printing roll, are, as a rule, not generally exchangeable. Analogously then, the number wash systems to be installed will be the same as the number of printing rollers.
Yet a further disadvantage is the amount of service, cleaning, and maintenance which calls for a high expenditure of technical time.
EP 0 928 687 A1 discloses a rubber cloth cleaning device, which is smaller than the breadth of the printing cylinder to be cleaned. This cleaning device can be moved along a guide rail parallel to the longitudinal extent of the printing cylinder. Thereby, by the pushing of the cleaning device along the guide rail, the accessibility and vision at any optional point on the rubber cloth cylinder is made possible.
In the case of this cleaning device, the connection of the in and out flow lines from an external, central supply point is directly through a central supply hose to the washing apparatus. The central supply hose is, in this case, conducted by a carrier, whereby, a sufficient freedom of movement must be allowed to compensate for the movements of the wash apparatus. These hoses, in the case of generally tight space requirements of the printing machines, are not particularly desired, because of the loose line guidance due to the movement of the washing apparatus. This arrangement is also disadvantageous, because, among other things, of the danger of damage.
From safety considerations, it is often not allowable to supply electrical energy, hot water, and detergent by means of one loose central supply hose in the direct proximity of rotating printing cylinders. The supply hose could be a central consolidating carrying in turn the supply hoses for said media. Added to these, could be another hose for the return flow of the spent water-detergent mixture.
The object of the present invention is to create a cleaning device of the kind described in the introductory passages, which, in total, is space saving and with which an extended loose connection is avoided, so that even an installation in safety relevant areas is possible.
For the achievement of this object, it is proposed, that: the supply lines be conducted through the inside of the guide rails from the washing apparatus to a stationary connection point, that the guide rail possess internally a suction wastewater channel, which is placed between upper and the lower sections of a belt running between turnaround rollers for the transport of the carriage, that a belt section form an extensively sealing covering for the open suction wastewater channel located on a longitudinal side, that in the area of the carriage, at least one access pipe fitting be conducted into the interior of the suction wastewater channel, and that proximal to the stationary connection point, a connecting pipe is provided which is connected to the access pipe fitting entering the suction wastewater channel, and that the remaining supply lines beside the suction wastewater channel run inside the guide rail from the stationary connection point to the carriage.
In this way, a loose, bulky outlay of a line is avoided. Especially, by this arrangement in accordance with the invention, the supply and removal lines are protectively conducted in the interior of the guide rail, so that damages from external influences are avoided and also a replacement is possible in safety relevant areas.
An advantageous embodiment provides, that the suction wastewater channel is made in essentially a U-shaped profile, as seen in a cross section end view, whose open side is covered over by a section of the belt. Advantageously the longitudinal edges of the belt on its surface distal from the suction wastewater channel are provided with longitudinally extended side rims. Because of the low pressure in the suction wastewater channel, the belt is sealingly pressed onto the edges of the U-shaped member and is guided laterally by means of the side rims.
It is particularly advantageous, if the belt, advantageously designed as a toothed belt, on the inside, respectively in the area proximal to the edges, possesses in the circumferential direction penetrating grooves, and if the suction wastewater channel sealingly engages the edges of its open longitudinal sides in the penetrating grooves.
By this means, a good, tight seal is made between the belt and the U-shaped member. One embodiment provides, that the guide rail be made in the shape of a basin, and possess on the outside, advantageously, U-shaped guiding members. The carriage overlaps the U-shaped guiding members, preferably with bearing based sliding means.
By means of the outside located guides, the inner space thereof stands available to receive the suction wastewater channel and to contain the necessary supply lines. Beyond this, the guides for the carriage are found at the most extreme side to side distance as possible, whereby the positioning is stabilized and an exact guidance even at higher operational demands is available.
The guide rail possesses an open inside cross-section for the reception of the suction wastewater channel with the belts which run about them, as well as a receiving space for the supply lines which are especially held by a drag chain.
The drag chain is fastened at one end of the guide rail and runs, loopwise, to the carriage. The suction wastewater channel can be somewhat distanced by being placed at the bottom of the guide rail, so that, first, space for the one section of the belt which runs through under the suction wastewater channel, and second, a place is made for a part of the drag chain. The guide rail has, thus, the entire inside width of the guide rail available for the storage of the temporarily unused, portion of the drag chain. This allows for the coiling of larger supply lines.
In a purposeful manner, the stationary connection point, for the supply lines which are conducted to the carriage, is placed at one end of the guide rail, whereby for the movement of the supply lines within the guide rail, advantageously, a pull chain is provided. This arrangement brings the stationary supply connection outside of the danger zone of damage. On the outer ends of the guide rails, as a rule, there is to be found either a lateral carrying structure or a wall, on which the guide rail is supported by means of a holder. On this carrying structure or wall, as the case may be, it is also possible to install a connection between the supply source and the stationary connection point.
The stationary connection point, which also does not join in the lateral displacement movement of the carriage, possesses advantageously, a short piece of line, which protrudes out of the guide rail. On the end of this short piece of line, are provided connection fittings for direct connection, or connection by means of a feedline to the supply source unit.
Advantageously, a hose is connected onto the connecting pipe of the suction wastewater channel which opens at the connection point. Preferably, at the stationary connection point, quick opening, plug-in connections would be provided for connection to the supply source unit. Thereby a quick on and off coupling is possible, for instance for maintenance purposes.
The guide rail possesses sliding elements at its outer ends, for forward and back movements transverse to its longitudinal extent, to be inserted in appropriate holding means. For this movement, thrust cylinders, preferably compressed air cylinders, are provided. These cylinders are correspondingly located at the ends of the guide rail and are coupled to lateral holding means by their thrust elements.
Activated by remote control, the thrust cylinders move the guide rail assembly with the washing apparatus which is mounted thereon, over an adjustable thrust range forward to the washing position and back again into an idle position.
Advantageously, the carriage and the washing apparatus which is removably affixed thereon, possess on their mutually facing sides, electrical plug-in connections, liquid couplings, as well as wastewater connections, which are designed as self coupling, complementary elements. Moreover, for the positional precision of carriage and washing apparatus relative to said coupling and connections, at least one positioning pin with a complementary counter opening is provided therebetweeen.
By these means, all supply and removal lines are automatically coupled when the washing apparatus is set in place, and in reverse manner, said lines can be disconnected upon removal of the washing apparatus. Thus it is possible to effect an exchange of the washing apparatus in the least amount of time.
Besides such an exchange in the case of maintenance work, this ease of connection facility is especially of value, when one washing apparatus is employed successively for a plurality of printing cylinders, for which, in each case, a guide rail has been installed.
Another embodiment makes the proposal, that for the interconnection of the washing apparatus and the carriage, advantageously, tongues with complementary entry openings can be used, and distanced from this connection position, a lock jointure be provided with a manually activated locking lever.
In this way, the washing apparatus can be connected without tools to the carriage, since the tongues enter into receiving openings, the washing apparatus is set on the carriage, and then secured by the locking lever handle. All supply and removal lines are again in this operation, automatically coupled.
As washing apparatuses, different types of construction can be used, which, however, must possess the same connection configuration for connection to the carriage, so that they are exchangeable, by choice and substitution, with the carriages.
Among other designs, the possibility exists, that the washing apparatus possesses two, somewhat axis parallel brushes, which are installed in housing areas separate from one another and the application area of each points in different directions for the simultaneous application to two associated printing cylinders.
Additional embodiments of the invention are to be found in the additional subordinate claims.